A professional sign like this would be made with
vinyl or glass paint but I didn't have that on hand
and I bet a lot of you don't either. I used everyday
products for this DIY project so I didn't have to
run out and buy anything new. If you have an
old glass door or a frame with a pane of glass
you can create a sign like I did.
Supplies:
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computer, printer, paper
a little knowledge with sizing & flipping letters on a word document
sharpie marker
scotch tape
artist paint brush
black craft paint
glass project to work on
razor blade (optional)
My project piece is an oak china cabinet door with glass insert and the black striping already in place.
I painted the door frame in a distressed ASCP Old White and waxed the finish.
For the lettering ...
Start by holding a regular piece of printer paper up to your project and decide how big you
want your letters to be. Take that information back to your word document on your computer
and size them approx. to your paper size and print them out in reverse.
FRONT SIDE BACK SIDE
Cut your letters into squares and tape them face down on the front side of your project.
Turn your door over to reveal your letters. The font I used was Algerian.
You are going to use the letters as a template to draw them directly on the back of the glass.
First trace the outline of the letters with your sharpie. If you are right handed start on the left side and
visa versa if you are left handed. You do not want to smug the drying ink with your fist as you move around.
Once the edges are all in place I started to fill in the letter. This is much easier to do if you remove the template from underneath. Do your best to stay inside the lines!
If you wish you can use some of your scotch tape to get crisper edges.
You can also use a razor blade to fix edges.
Once the sharpie is dry you can darken it up with paint.
Using more sharpie just removes what you have already done.
In the Photo below the "E" is just sharpie & the "A" is sharpie that has been painted.
I've done it this way because the sharpie works well for fine lines and details
(like having cleaner edges) and the paint darkens it up really well.
I tried many different technics and order and this one worked the best for me.
I always encourage you to try different steps and different products and find what works best for you.
And before you leave ...
There are 1000's of pieces of up-cycled hardware to choose from at
firstfinds hardware store
